Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them. Use the template "EDC 484 S09 RJ04 - Assessing Inquiry".
My inquiry activity was in the building and “playing with” electromagnets.I created a lesson that started with the students making a simple circuit with it they could see the light go on when the circuit was complete.I asked the students to observe the effect of the circuit they created on a compass and explain their observations.The students saw that the electrical current was able to change the direction of the compass.From this observation the students where able to infer that an electric circuit created an electric field.Some students where actually able to show a circular field around the wire that was dependent on current flow.Once they where done I asked the students to coil a wire and add it to the circuit removing the flashlight to decrease resistance.The students now had a solenoid which they did not realize is a magnet they played with it and where able to see it had a magnetic field which was larger and stronger then that of the simple circuit.After allowing them to play with the solenoid for a while, I gave them a steel bolt which they put into the coiled wire creating an electromagnet.They found that it had a magnetic field that was able to pick up paper clips.I then asked them to brainstorm variables they could change to create a stronger electromagnet. The students prediction where then used in a following lesson with electromagnet strength tests where each group tested a different variable and as a class we build a super strong electromagnet.
Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them. Use the template "EDC 484 S09 RJ04 - Assessing Inquiry".
My inquiry activity was in the building and “playing with” electromagnets. I created a lesson that started with the students making a simple circuit with it they could see the light go on when the circuit was complete. I asked the students to observe the effect of the circuit they created on a compass and explain their observations. The students saw that the electrical current was able to change the direction of the compass. From this observation the students where able to infer that an electric circuit created an electric field. Some students where actually able to show a circular field around the wire that was dependent on current flow. Once they where done I asked the students to coil a wire and add it to the circuit removing the flashlight to decrease resistance. The students now had a solenoid which they did not realize is a magnet they played with it and where able to see it had a magnetic field which was larger and stronger then that of the simple circuit. After allowing them to play with the solenoid for a while, I gave them a steel bolt which they put into the coiled wire creating an electromagnet. They found that it had a magnetic field that was able to pick up paper clips. I then asked them to brainstorm variables they could change to create a stronger electromagnet. The students prediction where then used in a following lesson with electromagnet strength tests where each group tested a different variable and as a class we build a super strong electromagnet.